I use a Traeger all the time now. I'm way too busy to feed sticks these days. The quality of the end product is what it's all about.

Process for making food changes all the time. Do you cook over a stone hearth in your house? Not saying that's bad, just most people don't do it that way anymore

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__________________"I must say as to what I have seen of Texas it is the garden spot of the world. The best land and the best prospects for health I ever saw, and I do believe it is a fortune to any man to come here."Davy Crockett, 1836

And - I usually agree. But - I do not discount the validity of other methods of cooking/smoking. In fact - I use them. I make the best pulled pork in my Smokin' Tex 1405 - and I like to use my Weber gasser for certain things -

I just left the "pelletheads" site due to the narrow-mindedness and personal agendas that prevailed on the site.
I enjoy exchanges with folks that are enthusiasts....just not zealots....make sense?
I just want a place to discuss and have fun without the castagation that the pelletheads site uses against any branded product that htye have not "performance tested" yet....Funny - becuase the testing is all done by one person - that sells a competing brand...What would you expect the potential of objective outcomes to be?

I agree with you. It's easy for bias to color the results of any test.

Just the same as saying because you didn't smoke that on a side box rig it's not authentic Q.

Might not be strictly "traditional" by some definitions but it's Q just the same.

.40

__________________"I must say as to what I have seen of Texas it is the garden spot of the world. The best land and the best prospects for health I ever saw, and I do believe it is a fortune to any man to come here."Davy Crockett, 1836

Yep....I appreciate the tradition of old fashioned stick burners, and the commitment to produce quality 'Q on them. I really do. I just don't see myself going back to them on an often used basis.
And - it is purely a logisic decision for me- time is worth too much anymore.

I guess it parallels why we in other areas of life - choose newer technologies. Ti save time and effort.

Still - some things are worth saving as Americana....part of life in a by-gone era. That is where I am afraid we will find our good old stick burners in the not so distant future.
T

Teesquare, Welcome to D.C.!!
Speaking as one of the old school, open pit, up all night folks, the older I get, the tougher that approach becomes. I still believe that it is as good as it gets, but I completely understand your viewpoint and agree that modern technologies are certainly (well...., almost ) as good. I look forward to hearing more.

__________________"I must say as to what I have seen of Texas it is the garden spot of the world. The best land and the best prospects for health I ever saw, and I do believe it is a fortune to any man to come here."Davy Crockett, 1836

To me there is still nothing better than brisket from the motherland ( Texas for me!) that has ben rubbed, rested, and slow smoked on an offset stick burner......For me - that is better than the finest steak ever cooked in any manner.....

I just can't run with the pups like I used to - so...the unfortunate truth in my case is that "necessity is the mother....of invention"

I have been experimenting with different combinations of things like:

Cold smoking a brisket in the Smokin' Tex for a couple of hours - then putting it on the Yoder YS-640 to actually cook. Of course - this is not objective ( but I am very anal retentive by nature - ask the Mrs. T) but I do not believe anyone could tell the difference -vs- offset stick cooked.
Great bark, nice smoke ring - etc...)

There may be one area of improvement - will have to try it a few more times to be sure - due to variations in the meat from cook to cook: It was more moist than I would have been able to turn out on my old offset - without "crutching".

To me there is still nothing better than brisket from the motherland ( Texas for me!) that has ben rubbed, rested, and slow smoked on an offset stick burner......For me - that is better than the finest steak ever cooked in any manner.....

I just can't run with the pups like I used to - so...the unfortunate truth in my case is that "necessity is the mother....of invention"

I have been experimenting with different combinations of things like:

Cold smoking a brisket in the Smokin' Tex for a couple of hours - then putting it on the Yoder YS-640 to actually cook. Of course - this is not objective ( but I am very anal retentive by nature - ask the Mrs. T) but I do not believe anyone could tell the difference -vs- offset stick cooked.
Great bark, nice smoke ring - etc...)

There may be one area of improvement - will have to try it a few more times to be sure - due to variations in the meat from cook to cook: It was more moist than I would have been able to turn out on my old offset - without "crutching".

T

I think you've stumbled into the biggest nest of non-judgmental folks on the 'Net...most arguments are good natured.

And Hoot...he'd be happy with a squirrel on a stick and a box of matches...don't let him fool you!

__________________“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein

I just love open minded discussions about cooking. I certainly look forward continue to learning from others, and may a have trick or two to share along the way.
But I don't think there is only one way to do anything - and that is the essence of the fun in cooking for me.
T